Exploring the effects of combining health qigong and dance on working memory in middle-aged and elderly women: A preliminary investigation.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive decline represents a critical clinical and public health issue that adversely affects the quality of life for older patients and their families. This concern was exacerbated by the reduced engagement in outdoor activities among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting substantial challenges to aging societies. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of health qigong combined with Tibetan dance on working memory in middle-aged and elderly women, and to determine its potential as a preventive strategy against cognitive disorders. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted to compare the effects of a Health Qigong exercise intervention with those of everyday life and sports routines. The primary outcome measure was working memory assessed using a 2-Back working memory task research paradigm. Between July and September 2021, a total of 33 women were divided into four groups: two middle-aged groups (N = 18, with 8 women in the experimental group and 10 in the control group) and two elderly groups (N = 15, with 7 in the experimental group and 8 in the control group). Participants in the experimental groups underwent a 10-week intervention, consisting of three 60-min sessions per week. Each session included a warm-up, Health Qigong combined with Tibetan dance, and a cool-down. Throughout the study, all participants continued their daily routines. Response times and error rates were analyzed using a mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: A simple effects analysis revealed that Health Qigong combined with Tibetan dance significantly enhanced 2-Back response time and error rate in the middle-aged group. In contrast, the 2-Back error rate significantly increased in the elderly control group that did not receive the intervention (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Health Qigong demonstrates beneficial effects on middle-aged and elderly women. Combining Health Qigong with dance may serve as a preventive measure against cognitive disorders. This pioneering study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, assesses the new possibility of Health Qigong and dance, with the objective to offer more diverse indoor exercise options for middle-aged and elderly women.

Impacts of the pnf technique on flexibility and strength in martial arts athletes / Impactos da técnica pnf sobre flexibilidade e força em atletas de artes marciais / Impacto de la técnica pnf sobre la flexibilidad y la fuerza en atletas de artes marciales

ABSTRACT Introduction: Joint flexibility and muscle strength play a vital role in the training process of martial arts athletes. The proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) technique encourages the neural receptors, through the application of manual resistances, in the gain of functional range of motion and stability to its patients. It is believed that this technique can be adapted to the sports environment. Objective: Evaluate the impact of stretching using the PNF technique on martial arts athletes' flexibility and muscle strength. Methods: Through a controlled experiment, 100 martial arts athletes, without significant differences, were selected as experimental subjects, and randomly divided into two groups for a 4-week experiment. The experimental group added a protocol with PNF stretching exercises in the training, while the control group performed the usual training without interventions. Indicators of flexibility, functional activities, and strength were measured before and after the intervention, compared, and statistically analyzed. Results: Joint flexibility with the shoulder rotation test evolved from 21.88±5.71 to 19.22±5.94, and the left and right division was from 16.90±5.36 to 10.57±3.75; as for muscle strength, the flexor peak moment elevated from 210.36±51.18 to 251.37± 45.72, and flexor power had a gain from 111.76±30.63 to 135.20±2,.42. The extensor peak moment also showed expressive evolutions from 179.47±43.96 to 221.52±33.60. Conclusion: The PNF stretching exercise technique effectively optimizes martial arts athletes' joint flexibility and muscle strength. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: A flexibilidade articular e a força muscular desempenham um papel vital no processo de treinamento dos atletas de artes marciais. A técnica de facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva (PNF) incentiva os receptores neurais, através da aplicação de resistências manuais, no ganho da amplitude de movimento funcional e da estabilidade aos seus pacientes. Acredita-se que essa técnica possa ser adaptada ao meio esportivo. Objetivo: Avaliar os impactos do alongamento utilizando a técnica de PNF sobre a flexibilidade e a força muscular dos atletas de artes marciais. Métodos: Através de um experimento controlado, 100 atletas de artes marciais, sem diferenças significativas, foram selecionados como objetos experimentais, divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos para um experimento de 4 semanas. Ao grupo experimental foi adicionado um protocolo com exercícios de alongamento PNF no treinamento, enquanto o grupo de controle efetuou o treinamento habitual sem intervenções. Indicadores de flexibilidade, atividades funcionais e força foram aferidos antes e depois da intervenção, comparados e analisados estatisticamente. Resultados: A flexibilidade articular com o teste de giro do ombro evoluiu de 21,88±5,71 para 19,22±5,94, sendo a divisão esquerda e direita de 16,90±5,36 para 10,57±3,75; quanto a força muscular, o momento de pico do flexor elevou-se de 210,36±51,18 para 251,37± 45,72, e a potência do flexor teve um ganho de 111,76±30.63 para 135,20±2,.42. O momento de pico do extensor também demonstrou evoluções expressivas de 179,47±43,96 para 221,52±33,60. Conclusão: O exercício de alongamento com a técnica PNF demonstrou ser efetivo em otimizar a flexibilidade articular e a força muscular dos atletas de artes marciais. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: La flexibilidad articular y la fuerza muscular desempeñan un papel vital en el proceso de entrenamiento de los atletas de artes marciales. La técnica de facilitación neuromuscular propioceptiva (FNP) estimula los receptores neurales, a través de la aplicación de resistencias manuales, en la ganancia de rango funcional de movimiento y estabilidad a sus pacientes. Se cree que esta técnica puede adaptarse al ámbito deportivo. Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de los estiramientos con la técnica PNF en la flexibilidad y fuerza muscular de atletas de artes marciales. Métodos: A través de un experimento controlado, 100 atletas de artes marciales, sin diferencias significativas, fueron seleccionados como sujetos experimentales, divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos para un experimento de 4 semanas. Al grupo experimental se le añadió un protocolo con ejercicios de estiramiento PNF en el entrenamiento, mientras que el grupo de control realizó el entrenamiento habitual sin intervenciones. Se midieron indicadores de flexibilidad, actividades funcionales y fuerza antes y después de la intervención, se compararon y se analizaron estadísticamente. Resultados: La flexibilidad articular con la prueba de rotación del hombro evolucionó de 21,88±5,71 a 19,22±5,94, siendo la división izquierda y derecha de 16,90±5,36 a 10,57±3,75; en cuanto a la fuerza muscular, el momento pico flexor se elevó de 210,36±51,18 a 251,37± 45,72, y la potencia flexora tuvo una ganancia de 111,76±30,63 a 135,20±2,, 42. El momento máximo del extensor también mostró evoluciones expresivas de 179,47±43,96 a 221,52±33,60. Conclusión: El ejercicio de estiramiento con técnica PNF demostró ser eficaz para optimizar la flexibilidad articular y la fuerza muscular de los atletas de artes marciales. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

PD-1-siRNA Delivered by Attenuated Salmonella Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Chloroquine in Colon Cancer.

The widespread appearance of drug tolerance and the low efficiency of single treatment have severely affected the survival time of the patients with colorectal cancer. Exploring new treatment options and combined treatment strategies have become the key to improving the prognosis. The combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy have shown good clinical expectations. Here, we studied the cooperative effects of chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug that is now widely used in anti-tumor research, and RNA interference (RNAi) targeting the immune checkpoint molecule Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) delivered with attenuated Salmonella. Our results show that chloroquine can not only significantly inhibit the survival of colon cancer cells and induce apoptosis, but also effectively inhibit cell invasion and migration. The results of in vivo experiments show that chloroquine can increase the expression of PD-1 in tumor tissues. Combining chloroquine and PD-1 siRNA can further inhibit the growth and metastases of colon cancer and induce apoptosis. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon is the occurrence of chloroquine-induced apoptosis and the effective immune response caused by the attenuated Salmonella carrying PD-1 siRNA. This study suggests that the combined application of PD-1-based immunotherapy and anti-cancer drugs has become a new expectation for clinical treatment of colorectal cancer.

Bi(OTf)3 -catalyed One-pot Synthesis of α-Halo-ß-amino Ketones and Acyl Aziridines from 3-Aryl Propargyl Alcohols.

A Bi(OTf)3 -catalyed reaction of 3-aryl propargyl alcohols with sulfonamide and halogen source was firstly investigated, which provided a facile route for the synthesis of a large variety of α-halo-ß-amino ketones. The key intermediates, ß-amino ketones, were obtained through tandem Meyer-Schuster rearrangement reaction of propargyl alcohols and intermolecular Michael addition of α, ß-unsaturated ketones and sulfonamide. Then the in situ generated α-halo-ß-amino ketones underwent the base-promoted intramolecular cyclization to give diverse acyl aziridines in a one-pot fashion. These transformations are reliable on a large scale. The high yields and convenient experimental operations make it a valuable method for the construction of α-halo-ß-amino ketones and acyl aziridine derivatives.